Maria Miller has said she takes "full responsibility" for her decision to stand down as Culture Secretary, saying that she did not want to become a "distraction" from the achievements of the Government.

She said she had hoped to carry on in office after she was
cleared of the central expenses allegation against her by the
Commons Standards Committee but it had become clear it was
impossible to do so.

"This has been a really difficult 16 months. Because I was
cleared of the central allegation made about me by a Labour Member
of Parliament, I hoped that I could stay. But it has become clear
to me that it has become an enormous distraction," she said.

"It is not right that I am distracting from the incredible
achievements of this Government."

Asked if she had been pressurised into quitting, a clearly
emotional Mrs Miller said: "I take full responsibility for my
decision to resign. I think it is the right thing to do to remove
what has become really an unhelpful and very difficult distraction
for colleagues."

Asked also whether she believed she had been the victim of a
media witch hunt because of her role in implementing the
recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry on press standards, she
said: "I take full responsibility for the situation. I fully accept
the findings of the parliamentary standards report. This is about
that."